Ice Is Here..

Well, we’ve been hitting the ice up here on Chequamegon Bay now since the 6th of December.. Good ice conditions persist, and with the cold weather still keeping us in a deep freeze, conditions will only get better.. and ice will continue to move northward into the Apostle Islands… A bit of snow too, but luckily, the winds are moving it around to keep it off newer ice. Snowmobile travel is best right now, around Ashland and over towards Washburn. North, no go yet on machine travel.

Fishing has been okay too, on the days I’ve gotten out. But, front after front, has shown some days better then others. But, thats fishing..

Nice trifecta… smallie, laker and walleye.

Very Cool, Thanks

Wow those are some really nice fishies.
Those pictures are all good enough to be on Christmas cards.

Great looking fish

Jim:

Been reading your posts on LL and was wondering when we might see you over here on IDO… Hoping to get up there soon!!!

Mark

Mark

Come on up.. Fishing has been good, as usual for first ice.. Trout from the top to the bottom. Slippery devils are chasing young of the year perch around. Shallow lakers that is. Not too often in this neck of the woods do you get to tangle with them in less them 100FOW.. Fun stuff..

The near shore bite still is going strong up in this neck of the woods, for trout species. Splake mainly, with some nice browns and Lake Trout mixed in as well. Along with this, now we are just getting started fishing the deep stuff for Lake Trout (100 FOW or deeper). Also, the 50 to 70 FOW has producing some nice catches of WhiteFish. Right now is an awesome time to be on the ice in my neck of the woods..

A few recent photos…

Great Photo’s, Good Work!

Pete

If your looking for Lake Trout..And dont want to cross the border, now is the time to come to Lake Superior.. This year, we should see some of the best ice conditions we have had in a long time. As of now, the deep water bite is underway!! Fighting Lake Trout in depths up to 300 FOW.. Nothing better…

The near shore bite is too good yet for myself, so I am sticking close for a few more days, then its off to the abyss.. The bite we are having should play well into the Ice Roads On Ice Clinic I will hosting here on Chequamegon Bay in March…

So for now.. I am still on the hunt for near shore fishes.. End of this week I will be hunting the slob Lake Trout..

Good to see you on Sat morning Jim. Great show! hopefully i can get up to your neck of the woods soon and get in on the excellent fishing.

Great Pics

Lake Trout is the name of the game now!! Deep water fishing, from 150 FOW out to 300 FOW… Big fish galore… And some good eaters too..

Looks like it’s been a while ajs.

I’m not sure where Mr. Hudson is this year.

From what i gather he,s been quite busy guiding and setting up a lake trout school which is in feb.Hopefully my photo,s from the bay this season will work. I f they do work the picture were taken with a cell phone they are not the best.

Ajs

I spent the weekend out and faired ok better then a lot of people from what i hear. But i ended up with two coho one eelpout 5 perch and a pile of smelt. All fish were caught in 29 f.o.w. Saturday we actually had coho bumping our transducers and slashing at spoons but they were extremely hard to hook up. I used a gold slender spoon with a minnow head and caught perch smelt and both coho also lost several others. And a new one to add to my list of fish caught on a salmo chubby darter a 4lb eelpout.

Ajs

Well it was a pretty good day for me. 1, 26 inch brown,1 coho,bunch of smelt and a few perch. Lost and missed several other larger fish pretty sure they were coho,s and i seen 1 splake chase my bait up to 10 feet under the ice. Brown came on a large live smelt set 5 feet off bottom on a tip up, coho hit a 1/8th oz gold slender spoon tipped with a minnow head. I was fishing along the pressure crack near the shack city 29 f.o.w. Couldnt release the brown. gills got pretty tore up during the fight so im thinkin smoker material.
Ajs

Looks like fun!
I’ve always wanted to fish Chequamegon through the ice but it’s kinda intimidating.
Maybe I should go visit my dad in Bayfield, and give it a shot.

Every trip is an adventure

Another chequamegon bay brownie from friday just at dark.

Ajs

WTG ajs!!! I was up to Mellen last Thursday for the girls game to officiate. Got to see a couple of the Jaegers that night!!!

Mark

Well the islands are for the most part iced in and people are beginning to venture out to some deeper lake trout water. But extreme caution is needed there is several new sheets of ice and several older ones. The new sheets vary from 2 to 6 inches. I myself will be heading out sunday for some mid depth fishing hoping to get some whitefish and maybe some smaller lakers. I will leave a report after the trip.

Here,s Capt jim hudsons ice report

Quick ice update:

Ice around Red Cliff to Basswood Island to the middle portion of Madeline is good, 6 to 10 inches. New ice off the north end of Basswood to Hermit, 2 to 6 inches. New ice from the Washington Avenue beach (Ice Road) to the old ice off Madeline and then over to the Onion River side of Van Tassels Point, 3 to 6 inches of ice. Onion River to Sioux, approx. 8 inches. Then you get into the older ice pack south into Ashland.

Lots of new ice into the islands as well, but very new. Hopefully it stays and we get onto some good Lake Trout ice soon.

But, please be aware to check ice conditions for yourself, too. Ice condtions change daily at times in some areas, cracks open, and under water currents eat at the ice. Do not assume the ice is safe!!

Ajs

I was out from the south end of basswood island today two whitefish 1 laker and lost and missed quite a few fish. Buckshot spoons and pimples worked for us tipped with gulp minnow grubs. It,s a lot of fun catching whitey,s on a 32 inch medium st croix spooled with 5lb power pro but i donated one buckshot to the lake. busted my mono leader.
I might upgrade to 10 lb for tuesday

Ajs

First batch of herring which are going to join the whitefish in the smoker.

Long island area 80.f.o.w caught one a white 1.5 inch crappie tube on a 1/32 oz head and a #3 salmo chubby darter also white.

Ajs